Feed, centering and clamping fixture for a size gauging honing machine



July 3. 1956 2,752,733

D. T. PEDEN FEED, CENTERING AND CLAMPING FIXTURE FOR A SIZE GAUGING HONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. $211 24; 7, 7%q/r,

July 3. 1956 D. T. PEDEN 2,752,733 FEED, CENTERING AND CLAMPING FIXTURE OR A SIZE GAUGING HONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1953 3 Sheets-Shee t 2 z, z 1 INVENTOR: N. 'r' Ida/glans 7," 7%46/7,

July 3. 1956 D. T. PEDEN 2,752,733

FEED, CENTERING AND CLAMPING FIXTURE FOR A SIZE GAUGING HONING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 6% Z 7 79 6' 0a 4.5 g

nited States atent FEED, CENTERWG AND CLAMPIN G FIXTURE FOR A SIZE GAUGHNG HONING MACHINE Douglas T. Peden, Ann Arbor, Mich, assignor to Micromatic Hone Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application February 6, 1953, Serial No. 335,522 Claims. (Ci. 51-98) This invention relates to honing machines and particularly to a honing machine having a feeding, clamping and gauging device for a workpiece tobe honed.

The present invention pertains to a feeding mechanism which advances cylindrical workpieces seriatim to a position on the worktable in alignment with the honing tool which is rotated and reciprocated thereabove. The table supporting the workpiece is moved to raised position and the stones of the tool, the stones are expanded to engage and accurately center the workpiece which on further upward movement is clamped between the table and a plate which supports the honing tool. A gauging mechanism is supported adjacent to the plate which is actuated when the diameter of the stones of the tool reaches a predetermined dimension for completing an electric circuit which terminates the expansion of the honing stones and immediately contracts the stones so as to interrupt the honing operation. When the stones are collapsed, the table is lowered to a position to receive the next adjacent cylindrical workpiece from the feed chute, and upon the next operation of raising the table, all of the workpieces are advanced in thevholder for moving the next adjacent workpiece to be honed in alignment with the honing tool. Such movement moves a workpiece from the end of the holder into a chute which directs it into a container adjacent to the machine. Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a fixture for feeding workpieces into a holder on a table which is moved upwardly over a reciprocating and rotating honing tool, the stones of which are expanded into engagement with the bore of the workpiece to accurately center the workpiece on the honing tool as the-final movement of the table clamping the centered workpiece between a plate on the head supporting the honing tool and the table; to provide a gauging mechanism embodying a deflectable wire having an end disposed in a slot in a rotatable collar which, when rotated by the frictional engagement of the stones therewith when diameter is reached, completes a circuit through the deflection of the wire to thereby cause the stones of the tool to contract and interrupt the honing operation and move the table to lowered position, and, in general, to provide a fixture for delivering workpieces to a honing tool and for clamping workpieces in accurately aligned relation therewith which is simple in construction, positive in operation and economical of manufacturer.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken side view, in elevation, of a honing machine having a work feeding, clamping and gauging device thereon embodying features of the present invention;

2,752,733 Patented July 3, 1956 Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, as viewed from line 3 thereof, with the feeding chute removed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 44 thereof; 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional view in elevation of the gauging and clamping means illustrated in Fig.1; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the structureillu'strated in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a broken side view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 6.

The honing machine to which the feeding,

described copending application.

The table 13 has a work holder 15 mounted thereon for receiving cylindrical workpieces 16 at the front end and for discharging the finished workpieces at the rear end. The wor pivotally mount- 27 which supports the The fingers and to locate it substantially in alignment with the tool. The

be provided with a plate 29 on each side At the forward end of the table, the base 27 has a bar 32 thereon which has a cam surface 33 at the top for engaging and preventing the passage of the workpiece 16 from a chute 34 of a hopper 35 when the table is raised. The hopper is supported workpieces 16 so that when the table is raised, the forward cam face 44 of the plate 42 engages the endmost work elements 16 and moves it a distance equal to its diameter toadvance a workpiece 16 which had been honed and moves the next adjacent work element in position of engagement with the fingers 21, As the table continues to move upwardly, the workpiece engaged by the fingers 21 moves over the honing tool, and as soon as it advances sufficiently to be engaged by the stones thereof, the table has a finger 76 thereon which completes a circuit through a switch 77 which actuates the feed mechanism of the honing head to move a rod 78 downwardly and cause the stones 79 to be immediatelyexpanded into engagement with the bore of the workpiece, to thereby accurately center the axis of the bore on the axis of the honing tool.

The final upward movement of the table moves the workpiece into engagement with a clamping plate 45 mounted on the under side of a bracket 46 which is secured to the honing head about the honing tool 14, as illustrated in Fig. l. The plate 47 on the holder 15, on which the workpiece being honed rests, is urged upwardly by spring means 48, to thereby have the work clamped between the plates 45 and 47 with a predetermined pressure. Any fraction of a thousandth of an inch in the thickness of the workpiece is compensated for by the plate 47 and spring means 48. A fluid delivering aperture 4-9 is provided beneath the plate 47 for receiving a coolant which is delivered upwardly through the workpiece and over the honing tool during the honing operation. As the honing operation proceeds, the stones of the tool are continuously moved outwardly to increase the diameter thereof as the bore of the workpiece is enlarged until such time as the diameter of the stones is sufiicient to engage a ring 51 of hard material which is secured to a flanged ring 52 mounted in an aperture 53 by the clamping plate 45 which is secured to the projecting plate 54 of the bracket 46 by a plurality of screws 55. The flanged ring 52 is free to rotate within the aperture 53 and the ring has a slot 56 in which a downwardly flanged end 57 of a spring wire 58 projects. The opposite end of the wire extends into a block 59 mounted in an enlarged end of an aperture 61 extending inwardly from the side edge of the plate 5 through which the wire 58 extends. The block 59 and wire are secured in fixed position by a screw 62.

For controlling the degree of deflection of the wire, a block 63 is provided in the aperture 61 through which the wire 58 extends, the block having a stud 64 extending therefrom through a slot 65 in the forward face of the plate 54. The stud has a thumb screw 66 thereon for clamping the block 63 in adjusted position. It is to be understood that the thumb screw 66 may be loosened and the block slid to any desired position within the aperture 61 and then clamped in position, amount of force required to deflect the wire 58 a predetermined distance.

As illustrated more specifically in Fig. 6, an insulated wire 67 extends through a sleeve 68 mounted on an arm 69 carried between flanges 71 of a screw '72. The sleeve 68 extends within an aperture 73 in the plate 54 and the wire 67 has a conducting tip '74 extending forwardly from the forward end of the sleeve 68. The tip '74 is aligned with the deflectable wire 58, and when the wire is deflected into engagement with the tip, a circuit is completed which actuates the retracting mechanism of the honing head which retracts the stones radially from the surface of the bore of the workpiece to thereby interrupt the honing operation. By the adjustment of the screw 72, the position of the tip 74 relative to the wire 58 is regulated to adjust the amount of deflection of the wire 58 required to engage the tip, and by the shift of the block 63 in the aperture 61, the amount of force required to deflect the wire 58 the required amount is thereby changed. Through these adjustments, the amount of frictional engagement between the honing stones and the ring 51 is obtained for accurately gauging the diameter of the stones,

to thereby change the 1.

A which thereby accurately measures the diameter of the bore being honed.

The operating head is so constructed that when the mechanism is actuated to retract the stones, the table is immediately lowered by the reversal of flow of fluid in the cylinder 7t), and upon the lowering of the table and the moving of the bar 32 from in front of the chute 34, the next adjacent workpiece moves into position within the holder 15 at the forward end thereof. The operation above described is repeated when the table is againv actuated to move upwardly by again reversing the flow of fluid in the cylinder "Iii, which movement advances a new workpiece in position between the fingers 21 as the finished workpieces are moved along the holder and the endmost workpiece therein is moved therefrom into the chute 17. This movement is effected by the operation of the cam face 44 on the last delivered workpiece in the holder 15 upon the upward movement of the table,

What is claimed is:

l. A device for handling workpieces in a honing ma chine having a vertically movable table and a honing tool, means for raising and lowering the table, a hopper for receiving the workpieces having a chute for aligning the workpieces before they are delivered therefrom, a workpiece holder on the table aligned with the chute for receiving a workpiece therefrom, a pair of fingers for engaging diametrical points on a workpiece for stopping the advancement thereof and for substantially aligning the workpiece with a honing tool, and cam means in alignment with the work holder for engaging the last delivered workpiece in the holder as the table moves upwardly, said tables upward movement causing said cam means to move the workpieces in the holder a distance equal to the diameter thereof to have one of the workpieces aligned accurately by the fingers while a finished workpiece at the end of the holder is delivered from the opposite end thereof.

2. A device for handling workpieces in a honing machine having a vertically movable table and a honing tool, a hopper for receiving the workpieces having a chute for aligning the workpieces before being delivered therefrom, a workpiece holder on the table aligned with the chute for receiving a workpiece therefrom, a pair of fingers for engaging diametrical points on a workpiece for stopping the advancement thereof and for substantially aligning the workpiece with a honing tool, earn means in alignment with the work holder for engaging the last delivered workpiece in the holder as the table moves upwardly, said tables upward movement causing said cam means to move the workpieces in the holder a distance equal to the diameter thereof to have one of the workpieces aligned accurately by the fingers while a finished workpiece at the end of the holder is delivered from the opposite end thereof, and means on said hopper in the path of movement of said table for agitating the hopper and causing the workpieces therein to move from the hopper into the delivery chute thereof.

3. A device for handling workpieces in a honing machine having a vertically movable table and a honing tool, a hopper for receiving the workpieces having a chute for aligning the workpieces before being delivered therefrom, a workpiece holder on the table aligned with the chute for receiving a workpiece therefrom, a pair of fingers for engaging diametrical points on a workpiece for stopping the advancement thereof and for substantially aligning the workpiece with a honing tool, cam means in alignment with the work holder for engaging the last delivered workpiece in the holder as the table moves upwardly, said tables upward movement causing said cam means to move the workpieces in the holder a distance equal to the diameter thereof to have one of the workpieces aligned accurately by the fingers while a finished workpiece at the end of the holder is delivered from the opposite end thereof, means on said hopper in the path of movement of said table for agitating the hopper and causing the workpieces therein to move from the hopper into the delivery chute thereof, a bracket supported by the honing machine having a plate extending outwardly therefrom through which the honing tool projects, a clamping plate on the bottom of said bracket about said honing tool, and a spring-pressed plate beneath said fingers upon which the workpiece engaged by the tool rests and on which the workpiece is clamped when the table moves upwardly sufiiciently tohave the workpiece engage the clamping plate supported'by the bracket.

4. A device for handling workpieces in a honing machine having a table vertically movable and a honing tool, a hopper for receiving the workpieces having a chute for aligning the workpieces before being delivered therefrom, a workpiece 'holder on the table aligned with the chute for receiving a workpiece therefrom, a pair of fingers for engaging diametrical points on a workpiece for stopping the advancement thereof and for substantially aligning the workpiece with a honing tool, cam means in alignment with the work holder for engaging the last delivered workpiece and positively moving the workpieces in the holder a distance equal to the diameter thereof to have one of the workpieces aligned accurately by the fingers while a finished workpiece at the end of the holder is delivered from the opposite end thereof, and means for expanding the stones of the tool into engagement with the bore of a workpiece prior to the clamping thereof during the upward movement of the table for accurately aligning the axis of the bore of the workpiece with the axis of the honing tool.

5. A device for handling workpieces in a honing machine having a table vertically movable and a honing tool, a hopper for receiving the workpieces having a chute for aligning the workpieces before being delivered therefrom, a workpiece holder on the table aligned with the chute for receiving a workpiece therefrom, a pair of fingers for engaging diametrical points on a workpiece for stopping the advancement thereof and for substantially aligning the workpiece with a honing tool, cam means in alignment with the work holder for engaging the last delivered workpiece and positively moving the workpieces in the holder a distance equal to the diameter thereof to have one of the workpieces aligned accurately by the fingers while a finished workpiece at the end of the holder is delivered from the opposite end thereof, means for expanding the stones of the tool into engagement with the bore of a workpiece prior to the clamping thereof during the upward movement of the table for accurately aligning the axis of the bore of the workpiece with the axis of the honing tool, and means on said table for engaging an endmost workpiece in the delivery chute of the hopper for preventing the passage thereof from the chute while the work holder and table are in raised position.

6. In a honing machine having a honing tool with means for expanding the stones of the tool, a table on said machine for moving a workpiece over the honing tool, a clamping plate on said table on which the workpiece may be supported, means for raising said table for advancing the workpiece when supported thereon over the honing tool, means actuated during said advancement for expanding the stones of the honing tool into engagement with the bore of the workpiece for accurately aligning the axis of the bore with the axis of the tool, and a clamping plate supported adjacent to said honing tool for engaging the top of the workpiece at the end of travel of the table for clamping the workpiece after it has been aligned on the stones of the tool.

7. In a honing machine having a honing tool with means for expanding the stones of the tool, a table on said machine for moving a workpiece over the honing tool, a clamping plate on said table on which the workpiece may be supported, means for raising said table for advancing the workpiece when supported thereon vancement for expandingthe stones of the honing tool into engagement with the bore of the workpiece for accurately aligning the axis of the bore with the axis of the tool, a clamping plate supported adjacent to saidhoning tool for engaging thetop of the workpiece"a-t the end of the travel of the table for clamping the workpiece after it has been aligned on the stones of'theto'ol; and spring means for supporting one of said clamping plates to provide a predetermined clamping load between the plates when the workpiece is clamped therebetwe'en:

8. In a honing machine having a honing tool with means for expanding and contracting the stones of the tool, a table on said machine for moving a workpiece over the honing tool, a clamping plate on said table on which the workpiece may be supported, means for raising said table for advancing the workpiece when supported thereon over the honing tool, means actuated during said advancement for expanding the stones of the honing tool into engagement with the bore of the workpiece for accurately aligning the axis of the bore with the axis of the tool, a clamping plate supported adjacent to said honing tool for engaging the top of the workpiece at the end of the travel of the table for clamping the workpiece after it has been aligned on the stones of the tool, a plate supported about said honing tool, a rotatable ring mounted in said plate, a spring mounted in said plate deflected by the rotation of said ring, and a wire of an electric circuit disposed adjacent to said deflectable spring for completing a circuit when the spring is in engagement therewith, said circuit controlling the operation of the contracting means when the stones have been expanded sufficiently to have the frictional engagement thereof with the ring cause the ring to rotate and deflect the spring into engagement with the wire of the electric circuit.

9. In a honing machine having a honing tool with means for expanding and contracting the stones of the tool, a table on said machine for moving a workpiece over the honing tool, a clamping plate on said table on which the workpiece may be supported, means for raising said table for advancing the workpiece when supported thereon over the honing tool, means actuated during said advancement for expanding the stones of the honing tool into engagement with the bore of the workpiece for accurately aligning the axis of the bore with the axis of the tool, a clamping plate supported adjacent to said honing tool for engaging the top of the workpiece at the end of the travel of the table for clamping the workpiece after it has been aligned on the stones of the tool, a plate supported about said honing tool, a rotatable ring mounted in said plate, a spring mounted in said plate deflected by the rotation of said ring, a wire of an electric circuit disposed adjacent to said deflectable spring for completing a circuit when the spring is in engagement therewith, said circuit controlling the operation of the contracting means when the stones have been expanded sufficiently to have the frictional engagement thereof with the ring cause the ring to rotate and deflect the spring into engagement with the wire of the electric circuit, and means on said plate for regulating the effective length of said spring and the amount of force required to deflect it into engagement with the electric wire.

10. In a honing machine having a honing tool with means for expanding the stones of the tool, a table on said machine for moving a workpiece over the honing tool, a clamping plate on said table on which the workpiece may be supported, means for raising said table for advancing the workpiece when supported thereon over the honing tool, means actuated during said advancement for expanding the stones of the honing tool into engagement with the bore of the workpiece for accurately aligning the axis of the bore with the axis of the tool, a clamping plate supported adjacent to said honing tool for engaging the top of the workpiece at the end of the travelof the table for clamping the workpiece after it has been aligned on the stones of the tool, a plate supported about saidhoning tool, a rotatable ring mounted in said plate, a spring mounted in said plate deflected by the rotation of said ring, a wire of an electric circuit disposed adjacent to said deflectable spring for compleb ing a circuit when the spring is in engagement therewith, said circuit controlling the operation of the contracting means when the stones have been expanded sufficiently to have the frictional engagement thereof with the ring cause the ring to rotate and deflect the spring into engagement with the wire of the electric circuit, means on said plate for regulating the efiective length of said spring and the amount of force required to deflect it into engagement with the electric wire, and means for adjusting the position of the wire of the electric circuit for regulating the amount, of deflection required of the defiectable spring to move into engagement therewith for controlling the amount of friction required between the honing tool stones and the rotatable ring for interrupting the honing operation when diameter has been reached.

UNITED STATES PATENTS References Cited in the file of this patent 685,713 Cilley Oct. 29, 1901 1,199,998 Linderme Oct. 3, 1916 1,318,485 Donaldson Oct. 14, 1919 1,414,589 Savey May 2, 1922 1,944,246 Langhammer Jan. 23, 1934 2,270,590 Johnson Jan. 20, 1942 2,531,395 Carlson Nov. 28, 1950 

